Improvement in seal-locks



' A. U. HUFFMAN.

. Seal Lo cks.

N0.\55,444 Patented Sept.29,1874.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUSTIN D. HOFFMAN,-OF cHIoAG iLLINoIS, ASSIGNOR T0 CHARLES H.

MORSE, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN SEAL-LOCKS.

Specification formir g part of Letters Patent No. 155,444, dated September 29, 1874; application filed August 26, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUSTIN D. HOFFMAN, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Combination Seal-Locks, of which the following is a specification:

The present invention relates to an improvement in looks more especially designed for fastening the doors of freight-cars; and its nature consists, first, in a shouldered bolt combined with an attaching-case, seal-plate, guard-plate, and spring-catch; second, the combinationcylinders and shouldered bolt, in combination with a seal-plate, guard-plate, attaching-cas'e, and spring-bolt, whereby a double protection is Secured against the picking of the look, as hereinafter fully described and shown.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a face view of the lock with the seal-plate under the guard-plate, as when the bolt'is locked; Fig.2, a face view of the same with the sealplate turned from under the guard-plate, as when the bolt is unlocked; Fig. 3, a vertical longitudinal central section of the device; Fig. 4, a section of one of the combination-cylinders, showing the position of the pin used to prevent it from rotating; Fig. 5,.a broken elevation of the opposite end of the device from that shown at Fig.1.

A represents the case, which is made of cast metal, and has such a form as to support the following mechanism: A bolt, 0, is enlarged at C, so as to be strong and have a reciprocating movement in the case A, and not become detached. To the face end of this bolt 0 O is rigidly fastened a seal-plate, B, which may be rotated and swing under a guard-plate, D. That part of the plate B shown at F is recessed to receive a seal to be secured therein by pasting or otherwise, and it is provided with a hole, into which projects a spring-bolt, E, to prevent the plate B from being turned without breaking the seal. The capplate D is recessed out, as Shown at H, Fig. 3, to such an extent as to allow the plate B to pass under it, and it is provided with an opening, P, to enable a seal to be readily seen, and it is fastened to the face-plate by rivets or screws S S. The middle part of the case A projects considerably back into the door to provide a suitable support for the bolt 0 G, and the bolt-hole is enlarged at J, Fig. 3, so that the enlarged part 0 of the bolt may slide back therein to unlock the door, the shoulders on the part 0 preventing the bolt from being drawn out of the case when the plate B is turned from under the cap D. The combination thus far described relates wholly to a protection by a seal; but to attain a further protection and security cylinders K K are placed in properly-formed annular openings in the case A, and attached to their inner ends are flanges L, which are each reduced at 0, Fig. 5, by a segmental cut, corresponding in form to a segment of the circle of the bolt at 0, so that when the cylinders K are turned to bring the part 0 0 against the bolt at (3 the latter may be drawn back into the case. The flanges L, projecting under the shoulder on the part of the bolt 0, prevent the latter from being drawn in unless the flanges L be turned, as above stated. 0n the opposite ends of the cylinders K are placed dials G G, which are held in place by screws 1", and which have marked on their faces the figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, for a purpose hereinafter described. The dials have holes m made in them, that a pin, n, may be inserted to hold the dials G G in fixed positions when the screws 1' are being tightened.

To use the lock, the case A must be inserted in a door so as to bring its face even with the face of the door, and. secured in place by screws put through holes It. To change the combination, remove the plateB from under the cap D, draw out the bolt, and bring the parts 0 O of the flanges L opposite to the part of the bolt 0. The screws r are then to be turned -to loosen the dials G G, when any figure on either dial may be brought opposite its respective index-mark l 2 on the face of plate A. A pin, n, is then inserted in one of the holes m in the dials, and into the case A. This will hold the dial while the screws rare being tightened. The pin is then removed, and the bolt 0 O can be locked. The unlocking-combination is then broken by turning one or both dials. To unlock the bolt, turn the dials to the numbers upon which they were set. Push back the spring-bolt E by any suitable punch which will break the seal attached to the plate B, and the seal-plate B may then be turned so 2. The combination of onev or more cylinas to draw out the bolt. ders,K, constructed as set forth, with the case Seals have been before used on locks; there- A, shouldered bolt 0 O, seal-plate B, cap-plate fore, I confine myself substantially-to the com- D, spring-bolt E I, and recess J, as and for bination enumerated. the purpose set forth.

611i c la1n1 and desire to secure by Letters Pat- AUSTIN HOFFMAN 1. The combination of case A, shouldered Witnesses:

bolt 0 O, cap-plate D, seal-plate B, and spring- JOHN H. ELLIOTT,

bolt E I, as described and shown. FRANK W. BARKER. 

